Regional General Permit 67 for Beach Nourishment
The Regulatory Branch of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Los Angeles District (LAD), desires to streamline regulatory procedures currently in place for permitting beach restoration activities (i.e., discharging fill material to eroding beaches) subject to USACE’s authority under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. LAD has established Regional General Permit 67 (RGP 67), whereby beach restoration projects meeting Special Conditions as described in RGP 67 may proceed under a project-specific LAD Notice to Proceed. Projects not meeting the criteria and where issues cannot be resolved informally would still be required to submit an application for a Standard Individual Permit.
This RGP authorizes anyone in coastal counties of California located within the boundary of LAD to discharge dredged or upland-derived fill materials for beach nourishment in accordance with the terms and conditions specified within RGP 67. This permit is in accordance with provisions of USACE Regulatory Programs for activities which are substantially similar in nature, which cause only minimal individual and cumulative environmental impacts. The time limit for completing the authorized activity ends on September 25, 2011.
Section 401 of the CWA requires that any activity requiring a federal permit or license, which may result in a discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States obtain certification by the appropriate agency. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is the certifying agency for projects that apply to more than one Regional Water Quality Control Board area, such as RGP 67. Pursuant to the CWA 401 Certification action by the State Water Board, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared that evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with RGP 67.
An Initial Study prepared by SWRCB to assess RGP 67’s potential impacts on the environment and the significance of those impacts is incorporated into the MND. The Regional General Permit has been determined to not have any significant impacts on the environment, once all proposed mitigation measures have been implemented as specified in the MND. This conclusion is supported by the following findings:
- There was no potential for adverse impacts on agricultural resources, land use and planning, mineral resources, population and housing, and public services.
- Potential adverse impacts resulting from the proposed project were found to be less than significant in the following areas: aesthetics, cultural resources, geology and soils, hydrology and water quality, noise, recreation, transportation/traffic, and utilities and service systems.
Full implementation of the proposed mitigation measures included in this MND would reduce the potential project-related adverse impacts on air quality, biological resources, and hazards and hazardous materials to less than significant levels.